1st Axies, come as eggs.

spyder · Mar 22, 2013

Hi, first post around here, just sharing my axie adventure.

I got some eggs from an Ebay seller. Did my research and now have 22 of these little guys. We are at day 5 since hatching last weekend and they are starting to feed well. I read they won't eat for the first 24-72 hours but I am relieved to see them start feeding well.

I'll try and post an update shot every few days and the first one is after this mornings bbs breakfast.

pondweed · Mar 22, 2013

They are such tiny little sprogs! I love seeing photo updates of growing Axolotls!

spyder · Mar 29, 2013

pondweed said:
They are such tiny little sprogs! I love seeing photo updates of growing Axolotls!

Cheers, and it's time for a little update.

They are feeding and growing well and we are now on day 12. With work commitments I haven't had time in a morning for feeding but they seem fine on a good teatime snack of BBS followed by 90% water changes. Some are pushing to 3/4 of an inch 17-18mm and the wild types are starting to develop black on the tips of their tails.

Unfortunately, I've had 1 casualty. A golden albino died on the 8th or 9th day. I guess you gotta expect the odd few not to make it so we're down to 21, 15 wild type and 6 golden albino's.

They are currently still in the 2 tubs. After this feed they are being split across 3 tubs. 1 will be all the G albino's as I read wild types tend to eat them more. The other 2 tubs will be for the 15 wild types.

I've just snapped for pics during their bbs breakfast.

ebonykrow · Mar 30, 2013

Oooh how exciting!

How many are you going to keep for yourself?

spyder · Mar 30, 2013

ebonykrow said:
Oooh how exciting!

How many are you going to keep for yourself?

Good question. I'm really liking the golden albino look but I don't normally go for anything albino, so maybe 1 or 2 of those along with maybe 1 wildtype so 2-3 should be a good guess for now. That may change though.

The strange thing is I've never really found myself drawn towards Axolotl's over the years but I saw someone selling some eggs on a Facebook group. They were kind of pricey so I looked on Ebay and snagged 20 delivered for £5. Bargain I thought.

I'm more into tropical fish breeding but my angels are not producing the goods right now. As I had brine shrimp hatching I thought I would give some axie eggs a shot.

Here's a quick shot of them split into 3 tubs now. Over the next couple of weeks or so I'll be building a rack in the garage for 3 x 12" cube tanks I have. They will be moved into their new accommodation when off live foods.

spyder · Mar 31, 2013

Day 14.

Looking good and their heads are getting much bigger and wider. I have noticed a few have started developing their front limbs, no photo's today though.

spyder · Apr 3, 2013

Day 17 or 18?

Had a couple of losses over the last few days, not sure if it was down to water conditions but things seem to be in hand right now. We are down from 22 to 17, 11 wild type and 6 golden albinos.

They certainly are growing fast now. Some have visible front limb buds appearing.

Just a few shots that were taken last night. They are getting a bit easier to shoot now they are not so small.

spyder · Apr 3, 2013

Hope I'm not boring everyone with photo's but I have a couple more pics to share.

Now I can see them better.

MEEX · Apr 7, 2013

These were my babies!

The ones I kept are developing a little slower, so it's great to see these pics.
I got a couple of better pics today, (they still aren't great, sorry) and it's hard to compare without scale so I'll put something in with them and try again later.

Sorry you've lost a few - I've lost 3 myself now, and when it's impossible to tell why it makes it more upsetting/stressful.

tfmreefs · Apr 7, 2013

Thats soo cool!!! What were the first live food you fed them?

spyder · Apr 8, 2013

MEEX said:
These were my babies!

The ones I kept are developing a little slower, so it's great to see these pics.
I got a couple of better pics today, (they still aren't great, sorry) and it's hard to compare without scale so I'll put something in with them and try again later.

Sorry you've lost a few - I've lost 3 myself now, and when it's impossible to tell why it makes it more upsetting/stressful.

Nice to see some shots of their siblings.

They are quite tricky to shoot but at least they will stay still for a shot or two.

They hit 3 weeks this weekend and no further losses. I'm just about to prepare some BBS as I'm on night's this week. I'm hoping to get them feeding on frozen shrimp and bloodworm.

After some research over the weekend I'm going to get a whiteworm culture to get started. I could of done with it a week or so ago but didn't think ahead as I was planning their future accommodation instead. I think whiteworms would be good now as they move and live in water for a while.

tfmreefs said:
Thats soo cool!!! What were the first live food you fed them?

They have been fed exclusively on baby brine shrimp. I have started offering a bit of frozen bloodworm and adult brineshrimp but they only eat it when it falls in front of them. Things will get easier when they are off the BBS.

spyder · Apr 11, 2013

Day 25.

No photo's today just a little update. They are growing

No more losses to report, head count still at 17.

I have noticed the tiniest of toes on some front stumps. Also noticed some there has been some gill nipping going on so will be adding 2 more tubs to make 5 tomorrow. That will thin them down a bit.

Feeding, well they will take some frozen brine shrimp with garlic (thawed of course) but they still seem to need the movement so dropping a single brine shrimp with a pippette on top of axies head is what I have to do for them to take it. I thought they should be able to sniff food out by now?

Still no sign of the whiteworm culture from ebay.

MEEX · Apr 12, 2013

I lost one of mine last night, and whilst it's sad it does enable me to get a better look, and he did indeed have front legs 1mm or so long. So they ARE growing, just near impossible to see!

I had a scare with a new BBS supply that didn't seem to want to hatch as quickly, so I tried offering some shaved bloodworms again yesterday and they got eaten this time, but I think it was only the larger 'lotls eating them.

BTW - I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do with most of mine - so if anybody in the Harrogate (N. Yorkshire) area would like some (or knows a decent way to ship them) drop me a PM!

Sorry for hi-jacking your thread, spyder!

spyder · Apr 12, 2013

Got some larger tubs, I need to go back and grab another 1 over the weekend. Plastic tubs & axolotl's are taking over the office.

Whiteworm culture arrived today so I have set that up in 2 cultures. Should be able to harvest in around 5-7 days time. Frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp for the next week or so as I'm winding down hatching BBS for a while.

Edit. Meex. Didn't see your post as I've been typing and running around taking pics etc. Hi-jack away although I wouldn't class that as a hi-jack really.

I've started trying to find mine new homes. I think I have 3-5 covered and I want at least 1 golden albino from my efforts but I can't keep more than 3.

MEEX · Apr 12, 2013

spyder said:
Edit. Meex. Didn't see your post as I've been typing and running around taking pics etc. Hi-jack away although I wouldn't class that as a hi-jack really.

Not exactly a hijack, no...
It's just that I had (or rather caused, lol) some 'minor inconveniences' when I tried to use the proper advert/trade thread on here before, and I didn't want to risk using it again!

I probably should or I'll be stuck with a load in the bath like last year...

spyder · Apr 16, 2013

Day 30.

Well they hit 4 weeks over the weekend and doing great. All 17 still thriving and growing.

They are now taking the frozen bloodworm and brineshrimp and slowly cruising around to snaffle it up. Saves having to drop it on their heads.

spyder · Apr 21, 2013

5 weeks.

So it's been 5 weeks since the first little critter wriggled out of it's jelly. We still have a head count of 17, all eating and thriving.

They were moved into their new temporary accommodation on Friday which consists of 3 x 12" cubes. They seem to like it a little more than in the plastic tubs. It's a little weird really as I have only had an aerial view of them in the tubs for the past 5 weeks. Now I really can see them.

The initial nipped gills I posted about seems to have grown itself out in most cases although one or two specimens still have little bits missing. What I have noticed now is some poor little ones have no toes.

I know, I know they will grow back.

They have started to cruise around by using the front legs instead of swimming around tadpole style. They are loving the frozen brine shrimp and come to the front of the tanks when the food goes in. Size now is around 35-45mm

I've added 2 pics today. First up is the new accommodation and 2nd up is a cheeky looking wild type.

Edit. Whiteworm population is slowly on the up but nowhere near ready to harvest from.

MEEX · Apr 28, 2013

Sorry, I've been too busy to post - but I love that set-up, even though it puts my own to shame.

Hope your whiteworms are more successful than mine - I think I made it too wet - and they've all hidden, or been eaten by my 'pet' shed mouse. (Maybe I didn't give them enough bananas?)

On the plus side, I'm getting much better hatch rates on my Brine Shrimp now that everyone is happy on frozen food.

Nice to finally see a photo that's in focus too - I've almost given up hope of getting my own.

tfmreefs · May 3, 2013

Hey, how's the little ones? Need an update!

MEEX · May 8, 2013

I'd be interested too, because I noticed back legs on mine the other day so thought these would be close to fully formed soon-ish. I hope everything is going well, but I know that there is never enough time.

No dramas here, but I have had to hospitalise a single 'lotl who's lost an arm. I've not noticed any other injuries but I'm starting to think/worry about splitting them all up if/when.

I made a rod for my own back by keeping the runt, but I saw him eat for the first time today! He may be brain damaged, but I don't think he's blind. He's got front legs, and possibly a finger or two, but he's only the size of a 5p/dime.

[EDIT] I saw a few whiteworms the other day, so there is hope yet!
Daphnia, same. Only about four arrived alive, now I've got a few more.
Microworms - Only bought as an experiment for the runt, and when I tried it today it worked. I've somehow ended up with a microworm army, but I know they aren't the best livefood so it's a bit of a mystery as to what we'll do with them all. As part of a varied diet they'll be ok, so long as they don't gang up on the little 'lotl.
Brine Shrimp - All day, every day. Will it never end?

1st Axies, come as eggs.

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